


Busy Hands

by orphan_account



Series: figuring it out [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Anxiety, Established Relationship, F/M, First Time, Fluff and Smut, POV Alternating, Porn with Feelings, Romance, so many feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 10:29:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17896757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Nott helps Caleb put his jittering hands to good use.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I feel it was inevitable that I wrote something naughty. Chapter one is a primer (partly because I was getting wordy and I wanted to split it up) and nothing sexual happens in it, chapter two is where it gets saucy, earning the rating.
> 
> EDIT: Hey I feel a little weird that I wrote this now that the whole Nott/Veth thing is out but whatever I still want to keep it.

Caleb seems tense today, his fingers taping back and forth against his palms, Frumpkin draped like a scarf over his shoulders and nuzzling against his beard. He doesn’t seem to be unhappy, maybe just a bit… overwhelmed? He looks lost in thought today. She keeps catching him glancing at her, as if he’s embarrassed to do so. The group knows about their relationship, they’ve even seen Nott jump up into Caleb’s outstretched arms for a celebratory kiss. He shouldn’t feel ashamed to look at her. But there he is, looking like a pining teenager all over again. Nott will have to have to get to the bottom of this when they get back to the inn tonight. She certainly isn’t going to ask him probing questions in front of the group.

The evening comes to a close, they’re all huddled together in the tavern of the inn eating and drinking and being merry, another mission under their belts. From the looks of it most of their group is looking to have a fun night of drinking, aside from Caleb who seems to look more tense than before. Another round of drinks are had and Nott sips from her never-ending flask and watches Caleb chug the ale sat in front of him with a speed she had not known he had. 

In one brisk motion he stands and sets his glass down on the table with a clank.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be heading to bed.” Caleb says to no one in particular before he turns tail and heads for the stairs, his long coat billowing out behind him. 

Nott wasn’t sure if she should follow him, he seemed a bit distressed, but perhaps he wanted to be alone. And Nott wanted to drink a bit more. Mollymauk pulls her out of her thoughts with a subtle bump of his elbow against her.

“I do believe you should go to bed as well,” he says quietly to her, almost leering with his unsettling red eyes.

Nott leans away a bit before replying, “I’m not tired yet.”

“I don’t think that mister Caleb is either, if you know what I mean,” Molly gives her a wink that only she can see, “I can smell it on him.”

Nott isn’t quite sure how to feel about this very forward implication by Mollymauk and only manages to open and close her mouth like a suffocating fish for an awkward moment as her face flushes a deeper green. 

“C-ca-can you smell me too?” She doesn’t know exactly what it is that Mollymauk claims he can smell, tieflings are weird and this one is especially odd so it could be anything. Mollymauk breathes deeply for a moment, leaning into her space. Reflexively she starts sniffing as well, trying to parse out any unusual smells between the two of them.

“I can now,” he wiggles one dark brow at her and she immediately starts scrambling out of her chair, made nervous by this strange knowing nose that Mollymauk seems to possess. Maybe she should follow Caleb upstairs, it wouldn’t hurt, and her flask is endless anyway. Not like she’s being presumptuous or anything she enjoys Caleb’s company no matter what they do. And the prospect of Mollymauk being right is tempting. 

Nott glances around, ensuring that her group isn’t paying attention to them before cautiously leaning back in to whisper, “Any tips?” Her eyes darting towards the stairs leading upstairs. 

Molly looks thoughtful for a moment before answering, “Give him positive reinforcement, and tell him what to do. You’re the boss after all.”

Molly seems satisfied with his advice, short sweet and to the point. He drinks deeply from his glass, looking at her expectantly. 

“I’m the boss?”

“You’re the boss.”

Nott considers this information. Without another word Nott darts from the table heading for the stairs. 

“Go get’em tiger!” Molly shouts as she hurries away. If only they were alone she would bare her teeth at him. 

—— 

“Molly can you actually... tell by smell?” Yasha whispers to him. 

“Oh heavens no, darling! They’re just that easy to read. Did you see Widogast twitching in his seat?” Mollymauk says as he waves his hand around at the area Caleb was last sitting. “He’s like a cat in heat. We should just be grateful he doesn’t like to scream like one.”

Yasha thinks for a moment, “It was a little obvious wasn’t it?” 

“I do hope that man learns to relax before he starts accidentally lighting himself on fire.”

“That’s what the rushing upstairs was for then?” Yasha asks. 

“Dear gods I hope so.” Molly says before he slams his drink down his throat and orders another.


	2. Chapter 2

The frustration in the small bedroom is palpable. Caleb is pacing quickly back and forth along the length of the room clenching and unclenching his hands with each step. 

“Pull yourself together,” he mutters under his breath. Caleb presses his hands against his eyes and lets out a long breath. After a moment of quiet he pushes his hands through his hair before quickly pulling his scarf and jacket off and throwing them over the desk chair. His hands hesitate a moment, hovering over the buckle of his book hostler. 

“No we aren’t chickening out zis time,” he chastises himself before undoing the leather straps and tossing them on top of his coat. He’s unbuckling his boots when he hears a gentle knock just before Nott cracks the door open. 

“Are you decent?” She calls quietly from the hallway. Of all the times to ask that question. 

“Ja,” it’s almost a chuckle when he responds. Nott enters and quickly closes the door behind her as Caleb pulls his boots off and drops them on the floor with a heavy thunk. 

“Nott, you know you can come in even if I’m not decent, ja? You’ve seen it all before.” They both have seen it all, living in close quarters for months takes a bit of the mystery out of what your friends have going on under their cloaks. 

“I just prefer to be polite,” she attempts to sound snobby, as if she cares a lick about etiquette. Once the door is secure she starts her ritual of disrobing, carefully placing her mask on the desk and beginning the arduous process of undoing her various cloaks and wraps. A spark goes off in Caleb’s mind, a not terribly embarrassing way to initiate... something, anything, and before he can lose what little confidence he managed to work up he grasps for it. 

“May I... assist you?” The words manage to push their way past his Adam’s apple and not sound as choked as he feels. Nott looks over at him, hands stilling over one ear where she had just undone a knot in her bandages.

“Sure,” she sounds pleasantly surprised. She comes to stand in front of him, her hands resuming their task of unwrapping her ear. Caleb manages to stop rubbing his fingers together long enough to very carefully go about undoing the bandages on Nott’s other ear. He hears a very quiet purr starting in Nott’s chest as his gentle fingers brush over her newly exposed skin.

He hadn’t expected the thought spirals to start so soon. He’s unwrapped only an ear and half her neck before he starts focusing on how disgusting his hands are, how undeserving of this moment he is, that he should stop. Terrible. Disgusting. Garbage. 

A small hand gently touches one of his, the green contrasting quite starkly with his pale pink skin. 

“You can keep going.” Nott’s voice is quiet but confident, encouraging. She must have seen the thousand yard stare. 

“Ok,” he gives himself a quick shake before returning to his task, attempting to stay focused on the feeling of the cloth between his fingers and the smooth skin being revealed. He notices that Nott has stopped unwrapping herself and has instead placed her hands atop Caleb knees with her eyes closed and a content smile on her face, relaxing into his touch, the purring sound becoming more pronounced. It’s a distinctly inhuman noise, much deeper than a cat but not quite a beast, it’s a sound he could listen to forever. Once finished with her neck Caleb moves on to a hand. It’s moments like this that he realizes just how different they are, her little green hands dwarfed by his long boney fingers, her claws deadly sharp compared to his blunt and cracked nails. 

He’s finished unwrapping both hands with little issue, his fingers are tingling and he’s not spiraling for once, so he takes both of her small hands into his and kisses each knuckle in turn. He looks up from his work and catches Nott’s large yellow eyes staring at him, her normally thin slitted pupils are wide, closer to a circle than he’s seen them before.

“How are you feeling, Caleb?” 

“Ah, good, ja, very good.” The words come burbling out of him, he swallows a lump in his throat. “You?”

——

 _Oh I’m gonna eat this boy,_ is Nott’s immediate thought. He’s so soft and squishy, easily frightened like a deer, and entirely hers. She can see it on his face, he’s waiting with bated breath for her to tell him their next move.

“I want you to touch me.”

“I-I am touching you,” He squeezes her hands but she sees that tell tale red creeping up his neck.

“No,” She pulls his hands up and places his open palms on her breasts with his long fingers laying on her collar bones, holding his wrists, “I want you to touch me.”

“Oh,” His whole face goes red at once and Nott has never felt more powerful. He lets out a shaky breath, she can see him trying to convince himself to move, “Ja, I can do that.”

Nott pushes closer into Caleb’s space between his knees, releasing his wrists to hold his face in her hands and kiss him. To her surprise he doesn’t pull his hands away. He moves one to her back, the other he adjusts to cup her fully through her shirt. His large hands cover so much of her at once, it’s quite a nice change from her previous encounters. Nott pulls one hand out of Caleb’s hair to push the hand on her back a little lower. Caleb tenses in her grasp.

“You still good?” Nott whispers against his lips.

“Ja,” is all he manages to get out.

“You’re doing great.”

With that, apparently emboldened by her praise, he does reach lower with both hands and lifts Nott off the ground and himself out of his chair, carrying her bridal style to their bed and holding her until he plops himself down on the mattress with her in his lap. Who knew positive reinforcement would work so well.

“My, my, aren’t we bold,” Nott climbs over Caleb’s lap, placing a knee on either side of his hips and looping her arms around his neck.

“It was an uncomfortable chair,” Caleb deadpans, hands slowly crawling up her legs. 

She lets out laugh before pulling Caleb back towards her for a forceful kiss, there’s a clack of teeth before Nott carefully drags her tongue along the underside of his upper lip drawing a stuttering breath out of her helpless wizard. His once nervous hands seem to slide with ease now, cupping her small behind in one and the back of her head in the other, and Nott is on fire. This is what she was waiting for. And all she had to do was be more demanding. 

Slowly and deliberately Nott slides her hands down his shoulders moving with purpose to the buttons on his shirt. She pops one open and pulls away slightly, “Tell me if you need to stop.”

“Only if you do too,” Caleb’s voice is thick and deep, a tone she hasn’t heard before, the hand that was on her backside slides under her shirt touching the skin on the small of her back with his finger tips. 

What could only be described as a growl rumbles in Nott’s chest as she quickly unbuttons the flap of Caleb’s long shirt. She is briefly disappointed to see an undershirt instead of skin when she pushes the cloth away, forgetting just how many layers this skinny man prefers to wear. He lets go of her for a moment to shrug his long sleeved shirt off his freckled shoulders. His fingers immediately start to drum against his palms. His eyes dart back and forth a moment before he begins to unwind the bandages from one hand, stopping at the wrist before tying it tight again and doing the same to the other hand. Nott sees a number of thick white scars on either side of his hands close to his wrists. 

“Are we still alright?” Nott asks cautiously, placing her hands on his broad shoulders. 

“Yes, I’m ok.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out in a huff before pulling the hem of his undershirt out of his pants and lifting it over his head in one quick movement. Nott has seen Caleb shirtless before, but getting to really look at him up close is something else. He’s so much paler than she remembers, and he has a thin layer of auburn hair across his chest that trails down and disappears into his pants. His ruddy blush does in fact color the top of his chest as she suspected. 

“Have I told you how beautiful you are, Caleb?” Nott muses as that gnawing hunger eats at her insides. She drags both her hands down his chest, lightly drawing the tips of her claws through the small forest he keeps there and towards the high waist of his pants, stopping when she can hook her fingers into the hem. 

“You hush, Nott,“ he looks so boyish with an embarrassed smile on his face.

Nott gives him another once over, he looks so delicate like this, though clearly somethings about him are definitely not soft anymore. She eyes the bulge in his pants and a low proud purr rumbles out of her knowing that it’s because of her. Despite her distaste for her own body it would only be fair if she matched him. Pulling away she wrenches her loose shirt over her head a throws it across the room. 

——

 _I’ve peaked, this is the high point of my life._ Caleb feels frozen in place as well as much hotter than he has ever been in his life. Every nerve in his body is thrumming, it’s overwhelming but this is the best he has felt in years, maybe ever. Other than the very rare bath this is as naked as he has been in months, let alone with a beautiful woman straddling his hips, chest bare and flushed. Objectively he knows that Nott is strong, but seeing the muscles move under her skin as she discards her shirt is breathtaking. He feels his body move before he is even aware of it, reaching to touch the smooth expanse of skin before him with his now bare palms. He feels he should say something, but can’t bring himself to ruin this perfect moment. Nott quivers under his hands, one holding her back, the other sliding up her stomach between the small mounds of her chest. She lets out a shuddering breath when his outstretched fingers brush lightly over her nipples. 

He sees a toothy grin spread cross Nott’s face and she lays her hands on his shoulders, gently pressing the tips of her claws into him, he can feel them but there isn’t enough pressure to break the skin. He releases a tittering breath and a shiver runs down his back. Her smile grows wider before she sits fully in his lap, grinding her hips down into his. If he hadn’t noticed how hard he was he certainly did now. A rather undignified groan escapes him before he has a chance to stop it. 

“Zat is not fair,” Caleb huffs out, he’s no longer eye level with her, so he gives a weak glare down his nose at her.

“I don’t know I thought it was a pretty good idea,” she looks up at him smugly. She rolls her hips over him once more looking rather proud of herself as she curls her fingers into the buttons of his pants.

“Don’t expect anything impressive,” Caleb mumbles despite himself.

“You’ve never seen a goblin dick have you, darling?” She chuckles as she manages to bunch the fabric of his pants down under his butt, he’s skinny as a bean pole and that’s helpful in this case. She stands up so she can pull his pants off his legs, she has to walk the full length of the bed to do it but she manages. 

“No, and I’m guessing I don’t want to?” He curls into himself a bit, trying and failing to cover himself with his hands. 

“They’re hooked with little notches on them, freaky looking things they are.” All this said with a straight face as she unties her pants, letting them fall to the bed. Months of travel and Caleb didn’t know she doesn’t wear underwear. She’s so small, her loose clothes distort her form. Her hips are wide on her small frame and her toned thighs don’t touch. She’s quite a bit hairier than he expected, but he probably is too. Nott seems to be in her element, her presence commanding, and Caleb is willing to do whatever she asks of him. 

“I don’t think I’ve seen a more beautiful sight.” There’s a reverence in his voice that he hadn’t expected to come out, but all the same the statement stands. A dark flush of green overcomes her, a rueful smile on her lips, and she’s even more beautiful than before. He gives up on trying to cover himself and offers her his hands. She takes them and comes to kneel over his thighs.

“May I?” He smiles coyly at her.

“If I may as well.” Her smile is sly.

Caleb runs his hands down her body in worship before gingerly reaching a hand between her legs. She gasps out his name and if it was the last sound he ever heard he would die a happy man. Nott is leaning into his body now, using his larger frame to hold her up as she reaches down to grasp him with both hands. Caleb lets out a whine that he isn’t sure he’s ever made before. His fingers are getting slick, and he’s feeling adventurous, he switches fingers so his thumb is rubbing firm circles around her and he can reach farther back to tease at her entrance. 

“Please Caleb,” Nott whines against his neck.

Carefully he slides a finger inside, he hardly has to move with her grinding down on his hand. She moves against him quick and rhythmic, panting and sighing, her breath hot against his damp chest. Experimentally, he curls his forefinger in time with his circling thumb.

“Oh gods, one more Caleb, please!” She cries out, hands tightening on him as she strokes.

“Anything you want, please tell me, I’ll do anything.” It comes out as little more than gasping breath into her hair but he does as she says, sliding a second finger in with the first, curling them toward him as she rocks back and forth causing a desperate moan to escape her. The size difference is noticeable now, his fingers may be long but they are also thin and he can tell that this is already a bit of a stretch for her tiny body. And both her small hands don’t cover his admittedly modest length.

“Just… ha… keep doing that. So good… ah you’re doing so good.” The praise goes right to his gut. This is the only contact he’s had in years and paired with the affection he’s getting dizzy. He curls his fingers harder, his other hand massaging at her breasts, hoping he can last long enough for her. She lets go of him with one hand to grab harshly at his shoulder continuing to stroke faster with the other. Unconsciously she digs her claw into his shoulder, breaking the skin, and Caleb lets out a deep shuddering moan. Nott leans back to look at him, her hair sticking to her skin and her eyes almost black, mouth hanging slack and panting, a vision like none other. All at once his body clenches and he pulls her closer to his chest calling out her name, desperately trying to maintain his rhythm with his hand. He feels his climax wash over him all the way to his toes, his hips jerking out of sync with Nott’s still stroking hand as he feels the warmth splatter his stomach and drip down to his thighs. It’s only a moment later that he feels Nott tighten around his fingers, her thighs clenching around his unable to close, her clawed fingers dig into him once more and she cries out his name again pressing her whole body against him. He continues to thrust his fingers into her as the muscles clamp down on him. Nott releases her hold on his flagging member to dig the claws of her other hand into his bicep, gasping and whining into Caleb’s ear. With one final cry her legs give out and she collapses against him. Slowly, he pulls his fingers away, and she shivers in response.

Caleb feels a sense of euphoria that he isn’t sure he’s ever felt, even with the very limited partners he’s had before. He clings to Nott, his body wrapping entirely around her, their breathing heavy and humid between them. For once, he’s got nothing on his mind.

——

Nott’s legs feel like they’re made of cooked noodles, she’s sweaty as if she’s run five miles in the rain, and more thoroughly satisfied than she has felt in years. Her breathing begins to return to normal and she pulls her head away from Caleb’s chest, some of her hair clinging to his sweaty skin. Caleb looks exhausted, but he’s smiling from ear to ear. She realizes that her hands are still clenched on his arms, and there’s a slightly sickening feeling of her claws sliding out of Caleb’s skin. Caleb hisses a breath between his teeth and a wave of guilt washes over her. 

“Oh Caleb I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to!” She frets as she wipes her claws against the sheets, leaving tiny trails of blood behind.

He grabs her hands in his as they make their way up to inspect the wounds and clutches them to his chest, she can feel his heart still pounding.

“You’ve done nothing wrong. In fact I uh…,” he looks a bit embarrassed before continuing, “I quite liked it.”

“Oh!” She looks over at the four small punctures on his arm, they’re red with blood but not dripping, fairly shallow. She wants to feel bad about hurting him but he’s looking at her with those big puppy dog eyes and that delicate smile, she can’t help but let her worrying go. 

“I’ll have to keep that in mind.” She looks up at him through her lashes attempting to look sultry.

A nervous laugh bubbles out of Caleb before turning into a joyful giggle. He pushes his sweaty hair back from his face and grabs his abandoned undershirt to wipe his mess from himself before offering it to Nott to wipe her hands on. She tosses it across the room and removes herself from Caleb’s lap and flopping down on the mattress next to him, exhaustion filling every muscle. Normally it is Nott that curls up into Caleb’s all encompassing embrace, but tonight he scoots farther down the bed to rest his head on her chest. He pulls the thin blanket up over their lower halves and goes about tracing symbols onto Nott’s stomach. Nott holds Caleb’s head in her arms, gently running her finger through his long hair. 

“Thank you, Nott, for uhm taking care of me.” His voice is just barely a whisper. 

There is more to unpack from that sentence than she really wants to deal with yet so she kisses the top of his head a whispers back, “Anytime, love.”

They lay there quietly, and over time Caleb stops doodling on her stomach, his breathing coming evenly and a soft snore rumbles out of him. Nott feels content in this warm little space and drifts off to sleep, holding her Caleb in her arms.

——

It’s another late morning for the pair before they join the group for breakfast. Caleb is visibly more relaxed than they’ve seen him, probably in weeks. He discusses plans for the day with Fjord, Nott sitting comfortably in his lap eating her breakfast, not paying attention to what they’re talking about. She locks eyes with Molly and Yasha, who are smiling knowingly at her.

“Did you sleep well, Nott?” Molly asks, perhaps a little louder than necessary.

“I slept great, thank you, Mollymauk.” She gives him a wink and a fang filled smile before shoving more bacon in her mouth. 

“Terrific!” He smiles brightly and turns to Yasha, who gives her a quick nod before returning to her food.

She will have to find more flowers to give them both today.


End file.
